The Preludes are short piano pieces by George Gershwin writtenin 1926. Each prelude is a well-known example of early-20th-century American classical music strongly influenced by jazz. Gershwin originally planned to compose 24 preludes for piano but the number was reduced to three at the first publication in 1926. Italian arranger Marco Tamanini arranged the first prelude as a typical 'encore' for Piano and Symphonic Wind Orchestra.